Restaurant Review: 25 Parganas (Bengali)

Confession time. I love everything Bengali (food, mishti, Kolkata, music, literature and of course the people). So, I dash down (with a Bengali family of course) to this fortnight old fine-dining Bengali restaurant. Siddharth Chatterjee, sales and marketing whizkid buys his own fish (loves Rohu and Ilish) from the 4 Bungalows fish market. Along with his lovely wife Namrata he cooks for their son Arjun, (state tennis champion) whose top favorite is Bekti. Yes! they love this restaurant.

DECOR

Walk under the looming pillarless dome of the Sahara Star into this chic black and white floored restaurant. Open kitchen, shelves with books, rabindra sangeet et al ( in house magician too).

FOOD

Mustard sparkles this great cuisine: Whole mustard seeds in hot oil pop and turn nuttily sweet, when ground into a paste, they develop a pungency that is nose-tinglingly memorable. And for me it is this deft use of mustard in Bengali fish and veg dishes that makes it my favourite. As does the use of the traditional and regional mix ‘panch phoran’. Freshest of river and seafish here, unerringly fried Bekti, steamed to perfection Bhapa Chingri, Shorshe Ilish, boneless Bekti Jhol… Distill the exquisite flavours of Bengal. My favourite fragrant lemon (Gondhoraj) enlivens the chicken. The melt in the mouth succulent mutton, Kosha Mangsho is another favourite. Chef Prasanjit Ghosh ensures that even the accompaniments of the puffy, crisp Radhaballobi and Luchi and the Gobindobhog Chaal are superb. Nolen Gur ice-cream seduces with it’s creamy, caramel flavour and texture

MINUS POINTS

Sadly the portions are small and the prices high. Though well-presented in a coconut shell, the Daab Chingri is too sweet and lacklustre. Mediocre banana flower, Mochar Ghanto and ditto for the Rosogulla and Payesh. No Aloo Poshto on the menu.

MY POINT

The brand new, open-for-dinner only stylish, fine-dining Bengali restaurant of Sahara Star serves up authentic and delicious fare. If it increases its portions and decreases its prices ( Rs 6,000 meal for two) it will have us going back for more.

25 Parganas

Sahara Star Hotel, Western Express Highway, Santacruz East

Timings: 7pm – 1 am (dinner only)

Call: 022-3980 7162

Meal for two: Rs 6000

Rating: Food: 4 I Service: 3.5 I Décor: 3.5

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Comments on this post are closed now

Be the first one to review.

Author

World Gourmand Award winner Rashmi Uday Singh is the author of India's first-ever city restaurant guide. Singh studied law and management, and worked as a deputy commissioner with the Indian Revenue Service, which she quit after 15 years to train with the BBC. Singh has written 22 books on food, night life and people. She hosts TV shows and writes columns for Bombay Times and Chennai Times. She promises this blog will be as much fun as eating out with her, at a range of exciting places in India and abroad.

World Gourmand Award winner Rashmi Uday Singh is the author of India's first-ever city restaurant guide. Singh studied law and management, and worked as a d. . .